Ducks Unlimited to Hit Top Speed this Weekend at Daytona

The Ducks Unlimited (DU) duck head will visit one of the nation’s top speedways this weekend thanks to a continuing partnership with Bass Pro Shops. The No. 14 Sprint Cup Series car driven by Tony Stewart will race under the lights at Daytona International Speedway on Saturday during the Coke Zero 400.

“Conservation is the only way we can ensure our grandchildren and their children will have the opportunity to enjoy the outdoors like our generation has, and Ducks Unlimited has been promoting conservation for the past 76 years,” said Johnny Morris, Bass Pro Shops’ founder. “It’s a tremendous organization with a great mission, and I’m proud to call myself a DU member.”

The special paint scheme was a generous donation from Morris, and was unveiled during DU’s annual convention in St. Louis in May.

“Johnny Morris and Bass Pro Shops have always been great partners, and their generosity never ceases to amaze me,” said DU CEO Dale Hall. “The fact that they support DU’s mission speaks volumes about the company and their commitment to conservation.”

In a similarly painted racecar last year, Stewart drove the DU car to a second-place finish behind Jimmie Johnson.

“As an avid hunter and proud supporter, I was honored to drive the No. 14 Bass Pro Shops car carrying the DU logo during the Coke Zero 400 at Daytona last year,” said NASCAR legend Tony Stewart. “I hope DU’s more than 1 million supporters will follow me to the winner’s circle on race day this year.”

The car will feature a greenhead on both back fenders, along with “Ducks Unlimited” painted in large letters. The race is slated to begin at 7:30 p.m. EST on Saturday evening.

“I had the opportunity to visit Daytona last year when the DU car raced, and it was truly an exciting experience, especially since Tony finished in second place,” Hall said. “I fully expect Tony to put the DU car in Victory Lane this year, but no matter the outcome of the race, hundreds of thousands of people will see the Ducks Unlimited name thanks to Johnny Morris and Tony Stewart.”

Ducks Unlimited

Ducks Unlimited is the world's leader in wetlands and waterfowl conservation. DU got its start in 1937 during the Dust Bowl when North America’s drought-plagued waterfowl populations had plunged to unprecedented lows. Determined not to sit idly by as the continent’s waterfowl dwindled beyond recovery, a small group of sportsmen joined together to form an organization that became known as Ducks Unlimited. Its mission: habitat conservation. Thanks to decades of abiding by that single mission, Ducks Unlimited is now the world’s largest and most effective private waterfowl and wetlands conservation organization. DU is able to multilaterally deliver its work through a series of partnerships with private individuals, landowners, agencies, scientific communities and other entities.